The legislative session is in full swing. Of particular interest to INARF members is the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee amendment to SB 500, which grandfathers converted group homes to serving the number of persons they were serving on Jan.1, 2013. Senator Pat Miller (R-Indianapolis), Committee Chair and the bill's author, indicated her preference for the settings to remain at the current size rather than permitting settings to increase up to eight persons, as allowed in the introduced bill.

The bill passed from committee, 7-0, and will be eligible for second reading on Monday.

Looking ahead, the House Ways and Means committee will take "open testimony" on HB 1001, the biennial budget, on Wednesday from 9 to 11 a.m. in Room 404.The budget bill must pass out of Ways and Means by Feb. 19th.

The Ways and Means Committee will also hear HB 1011, the metropolitan Indianapolis public mass transportation bill, on Wednesday. The bill was recommitted to Ways and Means after it passed from the Roads and Transportation committee. A time has not yet been announced for the hearing. Proponents of the bill are urging supporters to contact members of the Ways and Means Committee to urge passage.

Sen. Miller will hear SB 551 in the Senate Health Committee on Wed. She is the author of this bill, which provides for implementation of the Affordable Care Act health benefit exchanges. The hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. in Room 431.

The last full week for committee hearings in the house of origin is next week. The deadline for House committee report adoption is Feb. 19th and the Senate deadline is Feb. 21st. While many of the bills INARF is tracking have not moved out of committee, the following bills moved forward this week: